What is Islam?

What is Islam?

A Knowledgeable Article for all Muslims & Non-Muslims

By : Masood Nabi Khan

The name "Islam" simply means "Self-surrender to the Will of God." It is the way of life that all Prophets throughout history have taught, from those known in the Western world such as Abraham, Moses and Jesus to those sent to other parts of the earth like Salih, Shu'ayb and Luqman, the African. The last and final Guide was Muhammad, may he be blessed, who lived in sixth century Arabia. A "Muslim,"(i,e. a self surrendered one,) is a follower of this faith. Nearly one in every five persons alive today is a Muslim.

What does Islam teach?

Islam calls humanity to the service of the One, Omnipotent Creator, Who is known as "Allah, " (The Deity) in the Arabic language. It further instructs people on how they may live together in peace and harmony regardless of race, class or beliefs. The unity of purpose brought by all previous religious guides is highlighted as well as traditional morality, the equality of the sexes before God and the virtues of patience and humbleness.

Where do these teachings come from?

Muslims have two major sources from which they derive their religious teachings. The first is a book known as "the Quran," the direct Revelation of God to His last Prophet, the blessed Muhammad. The second source is the collected sayings and pronouncements of the Prophet which are complimentary to the Revelation. These are known as "the Hadith."

What about Muhammad? Who was he?

Muhammad (pbuh) was born in Arabia in the year 570. His father's name was Abdullah and his mother's was Aminah. Abdullah died before his son was born and his mother died when he was yet a small child. He was first placed under the care of his grandfather and then later his uncle, who raised his nephew as his own.

As a boy, Muhammad (pbuh), disliked the prevailing custom of idol worship practiced by his people. How many a night he must have paused to watch the stars and endless plains, while tending his uncle's flocks, and wondered at the real Creator of it all. He shunned the mischief of his fellow youth and soon developed a reputation for honesty, generosity and compassion.

When he was a young man he took employment in the merchant trade and soon distinguished himself for his excellent managerial skills, which resulted in an offer of marriage from his wealthy, widowed employer, the noble lady Khadija. He was 25 and she was 40 when they got married. Their marriage was based upon love friendship and trust

Though time and circumstances had changed as he grew older and wiser, Muhammad (pbuh) still remained restless for the truth and he began to retreat to the solitude which could only be found outside the city of Mecca. He often went to a mountain where he would sometimes spend days thinking and contemplating about God, reality and the Divine way of life. Then on one glorious day, the Almighty revealed words of inspiration to him through His angel, Gabriel. "Read!" the angel commanded him, "Read in the name of your Lord who created man from a clinging embryo..." This was Muhammad (pbuh), for all his truthfulness, patience, piety and spirit, commissioned as the last and final Prophet of God to humanity. Though many trials, tests and triumphs lay ahead of him, he always called people to the service of the One God, to shun myths and idols and to do unto others only what is good and right. He always lived a frugal life, and even after all of Arabia was liberated from the darkness of ignorance, he, as the ruler, still slept on a reed mat and mended his own clothes.

He taught a new standard to people and brought civilization to an area of the world where it had long ago passed by. His lips moved with the Revelation of God and his life put its precepts into practice. Though persecuted by the idol worshipers for thirteen years in Mecca and followed faithfully by the believing citizens of Medina for ten thereafter, he remained unto his death a devoted father, husband, leader and Prophet. He was given the title of "Mercy to the worlds" by God Himself in the Quran and anyone who has studied the details and adventures of his life must necessarily declare the same. This man Muhammad (pbuh) is truly the hero of his age as well as an inspiration to ours.

Do Muslims worship Muhammad like Christians do Christ?

No. Muhammad (pbuh) was only a man among men who received the special favor of God. No true Prophet of God taught that any man must be worshipped, as if any human body could contain the infinite. God instructs us in the Quran about him thus: "Muhammad is no more than Messenger. Many were the Messengers who passed away before him..."(3:144.)

How does Islam compare with Christianity and Judaism?

Islam, or, the Way of Self-Surrender to God, was taught by all Prophets whether their race was Jewish, Chinese, African, Arab or Cheyenne.

Accordingly, Moses, who is regarded as the pivotal figure in Judaism, and Jesus, who is the central personality of Christianity, both taught Islam to their peoples. The teachings of these great Messengers of God did not go unchanged, however, over the centuries, and one can find that many practices, beliefs and customs practiced by the adherents of those faiths today differ from the original purity of their founder's message.

Muhammad (pbuh), simply brought the last installment of self-surrender (Islam) to the world in order to correct earlier corruption in humanity's knowledge of the truth. So if the roots of Judaism and Christianity are the same as Islam, why does Islam seem so exotic and strange?

The problem is two-fold. On the one hand, there are people in the world who claim to be Muslims, but who do not follow the ethical or religious teachings of the faith. Unfortunately, the media has a universal fascination with negative news and a reluctance to highlight the positive. On the other hand, much of what we read and learn about Islam in the west is written, interpreted and presented by those who either know very little about Islam and the Muslim world. or are even hostile towards it.

An even more important area of misunderstanding lies in the basic assumptions about religion that the Western world and the Islamic world make. Because of the West's negative experience with religion, an alternate ideology known as secular-humanism had to be established to allow science, rationalism and free thought to flourish. Islamic civilization, in contrast, never impeded science nor the development of human thought, so a break between secular values and religious ones never occurred. This is why Islam is often mix-labeled "Theocratic." Education and improvements in global awareness, however, are slowly wearing down barriers to understanding, but it will require some effort from all of us to finally reach a point of tolerance and mutual good-will.

Where do Muslims Live?

Muslims live in every country and region on earth from Norway to Malaysia and Morocco to Mexico. Muslims form a large percentage of the population in Russia, China, India, and Eastern Europe.

Some Islamic lands are Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Malaysia, Egypt and Nigeria. Arab Muslims form a small minority of the worldwide Muslim population. There are nearly six million Muslims in North America alone. That's more than the population of some states such as Alaska, Nevada and Rhode Island.

How does one become a Muslim?

There are no elaborate rituals or ceremonies to perform to enter Islam (Self-Surrender to God), for Islam is the faith of reason, and therefore it takes an exercise of reason to become a Muslim. Simply by declaring and believing in one's heart the following phrase: "There is no object of devotion save God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God," one thereby is a believer. As a consequence of making this statement sincerely, everything an individual did that was wrong or unethical in his life up to that point, is forgiven by God, no matter what it was. From that moment onwards, the slate is cleared and you begin life again as a new person.

If what we have briefly discussed interests you, please contact us at the address or telephone number below. We would be honored to share our faith and our friendship with you for all things must pass away but the presence of our Lord shall abide forever.

World Countries and their Major Religions

Country	Religion	Country	Religion	Country	Religion
Afghanistan	Islam	Albania	Islam	Algeria	Islam
Andorra	Christian	Angola	Indigenous Beliefs	Antigua & Barbuda	Christian
Argentina	Christian	Armenia	Christian	Australia	Christian
Austria	Christian	Azerbaijan	Islam	Bahamas	Christian
Bahrain	Islam	Bangladesh	Islam	Barbados	Christian
Belarus	Christian	Belgium	Christian	Belize	Christian
Benin	Ind. Beliefs	Bhutan	Buddhist	Bolivia	Christian
Bosnia & Herzegovina	Islam, Christian	Botswana	Christian	Brazil	Christian
Brunei	Islam	Bulgaria	Christian, Islam	Burkina Faso	Trad. Beliefs
Burundi	Christian	Cambodia	Buddhist	Cameroon	Ind. Beliefs
Canada	Christian	Cape Verde	Christian	Central African Republic	Christian
Chad	Islam	Chile	Christian	China	Nonreligious
Colombia	Christian	Comoros	Islam	Congo	Christian
Costa Rica	Christian	Cote d'Ivore	Trad. Beliefs	Croatia	Christian
Cuba	Non Religious	Cyprus	Christian	Czech Republic	Christian
Denmark	Christian	Djibouti	Islam	Dominica	Christian
Dominican rep.	Christian	Ecuador	Christian	Egypt	Islam
El Salvador	Christian	Equatorial Guinea	Christian	Eritrea	Islam, Christian
Estonia	Christian	Ethiopia	Islam	Fiji	Christian
Finland	Christian	France	Christian	Gabon	Christian
Gambia	Islam	Georgia	Christian	Germany	Christian
Ghana	Ind. Beliefs	Greece	Christian	Grenada	Christian
Guatemala	Christian	Guinea	Islam	Guinea-Bissau	Trad. Beliefs
Guyana	Christian, Hindu	Haiti	Christian	Honduras	Christian
Hungary	Christian	Iceland	Christian	India	Hindu
Indonesia	Islam	Iran	Islam	Iraq	Islam
Ireland	Christian	Israel	Jews	Italy	Christian
Jamaica	Christian	Japan	Shinto & Buddhism	Jordan	Islam
Kazakhstan	Islam	Kenya	Christian	Kiribati	Christian
Kuwait	Islam	Kyrgyzstan	Islam	Laos	Buddhist
Lativa	Christian	Lebanon	Islam	Lesotho	Christian
Liberia	Trad. Beliefs	Libya	Islam	Liechtenstein	Christian
Lithuania	Christian	Luxembourg	Christian	Macedonia	Christian
Madagascar	Traditional Beliefs Christian	Malawi	Christian	Malaysia	Islam
Maldives	Islam	Mali	Islam	Malta	Christian
Marshal Is.	Christian	Mauritania	Islam	Mauritius	Hindu
Mexico	Christian	Micronesia	Christian	Moldova	Christian
Monaco	Christian	Mongolia	Shamanist	Morocco	Islam
Mozambique	Traditional Beliefs	Myanmar	Buddhist	Namibia	Christian
Nauru	Christian	Nepal	Hindu	Netherlands	Christian
New Zealand	Christian	Nicaragua	Christian	Niger	Islam
Nigeria	Islam	North Korea	Nonreligious	Norway	Christian
Oman	Islam	Pakistan	Islam	Palau	Christian
Panama	Christian	Papua New Guinea	Christian	Paraguay	Christian
Peru	Christian	Philippines	Christian	Poland	Christian
Portugal	Christian	Qatar	Islam	Romania	Christian
Russia	Christian	Rwanda	Christian	San Marino	Christian
Sao Tome & Principe	Christian	Saudi Arabia	Islam	Senegal	Islam
Seychelles	Christian	Sierra Leone	Islam	Singapore	Buddhist
Slovakia	Christian	Slovenia	Christian	Solomon Islands	Christian
Somalia	Islam	South Africa	Christian, Eng., Ndebele	South Korea	Christian
Spain	Christian	Sri Lanka	Buddhist	St. Kitts & Nevis	Christian
St. Lucia	Christian	St. Vimncent & The Grenadines	Christian	Sudan	Islam
Surinam	Christian, Hindu	Swaziland	Christian	Sweden	Christian
Switzerland	Christian	Syria	Islam	Taiwan	Chinese Folk Religion
Tajikistan	Islam	Tanzania	Christian	Thailand	Buddhist
Togo	Traditional Beliefs	Tonga	Christian	Trinidad & Tobago	Christian, Hindu
Tunisia	Islam	Turkey	Islam	Turkmenistan	Islam
Tuvalu	Christian	U. K.	Christian	U.A.E.	Islam
Uganda	Christian	Ukraine	Christian	United States of America	Christian
Uruguay	Christian	Uzbekistan	Islam	Vanuatu	Christian
Vatican City	Christian	Venezuela	Christian	Vietnam	Buddhist
Western Samoa	Christian	Yemen	Islam	Yugoslavia	Christian
Zaire	Christian	Zambia	Christian	Zimbabwe	Traditional Beliefs